The Journey to Bethlehem

 

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:2–5 ESV).

 

Our reading today is significant in that it foretells the birthplace of the Messiah. Many of us have heard this story many times from various sources. In fact, when we think of Christmas, we are often reminded of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, the city of David in which Jesus born. We think of the pregnant and delicate Mary riding on a donkey, Joseph confidently leading the way as her husband and protector with staff in hand, the demanding and dangerous trip to Bethlehem, finding no room available at the inn upon their arrival and thus giving birth to Jesus in a cave that served as a stable. However, if we look more closely at this journey, we would see a much different picture. I’ve included a map of the most likely route that Joseph chose for the 90-mile trip required by the Roman government.

 

So, let’s look closer by considering what Mary was like. When we think of her, we often think of the pious images of a delicate, light-skinned woman adorned in unblemished, ornate robes whose hands never saw a day of laundry presented in so many of the accounts today. As wonderful as these sacred images are, they cannot possibly convey accurately the real Mary as a poor first-century Jewish girl—albeit a singularly extraordinary one.

 

There’s no reason to think Mary was anything but intimately familiar with long days of hard work, as were other Jewish women of her place and time whose daily lives entailed various challenges far removed from technologically advanced, modern-day lives in first world nations. Mary likely began her day at sunrise by preparing a meal, perhaps of bread and olive oil with dried fish. Water needed to be carried and stored for drinking, cleaning, bathing and washing clothes. Food, such as ground wheat-flour, had to be collected and prepared; firewood gathered for cooking and providing warmth in winter; clothes laundered. As you can imagine, Mary’s work-day was perhaps ten hours long. To keep up, she had to be strong and efficient. Joseph would be no less familiar with tough times and demanding labor. His days as a tradesman—a carpenter—began at sunup and continued until the light had gone or nearly so. He was strong and resilient, with rough, calloused hands.

 

They would not have been intimidated physically by the trip that likely took a minimum of 8-10 days. However, they would not have relished such a trip with Mary being in her third trimester of pregnancy. James Strange, a New Testament and biblical archeology professor, had this to say: “Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke are so laconic about the Nativity event because they assume the reader would know what it was like. We have no idea how difficult it was.”

 

It begs the question of “why?” If indeed the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem as prophesied, why didn’t God make sure Mary and Joseph would already be there? God certainly was not surprised by the Roman edict for all Jews to return to their birthplace to register for the tax roll. There are many broad answers; however, the short answer is simply that God wanted us to understand how He works all things together for good (cf. Romans 8:28). We will look more into this truth in these days immediately preceding Christmas. For now, I hope you see God’s great will and purpose coming together at just the right time, in the right place, and through the right circumstances.

 

That is the Almighty God of all creation working on our behalf to bring redemption to His children. That is our foundation of hope and joy. Your journey may be troubled and difficult. Please know it is exactly what God knows will be best for you. He has already prepared you for all your circumstances. Every one of those trials ends with eternal good! Trust Him!